


Gifts of Heroes

by 123NY



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Feel-good, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28462224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/123NY/pseuds/123NY
Summary: Breakthrough visits a hospital on Christmas Eve.
Kudos: 17
Collections: The Cauldron Give-a-Fic-a-Thon





	Gifts of Heroes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ridtom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ridtom/gifts).



> Originally written for Cauldron's December 2020 Give-a-Fic-a-Thon.

“I hold you responsible for this,” muttered Tattletale. 

“You don’t have to participate,” said Victoria. 

“But you _strongly_ suggested I come, and it doesn’t take a Thinker, or even anyone with any brain cells to rub together, to see what is expected of me.”

“They’re hospital patients. If we’re going to use our powers to play with them, we need a Thinker on duty. And you aren’t busy. Everyone else is already at the hospital getting set up, so you won’t have to do much work.”

Victoria pulled the car into the parking lot, stopping in a convenient spot close to the entrance of the hospital, a foreboding and, frankly, decrepit building advertised by a painted red cross and sign saying “hospital.”

“This is a painful reminder of the state of our health system after monsters stomped all over it when it was already fragile,” said Tattletale, opening the car door and slamming it a little too loudly. 

“Shin’s been keeping us afloat with medical equipment, but with the lack of infrastructure they’re putting the bare minimum into ensuring the buildings are safe.”

“I know,” responded Tattletale. “And some people are skirting the bare minimum here. After we’re done, remind me to cite this building. I can already see structural problems.”

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to call attention to unsafe practices, but please don’t ruin this because you’re resentful,” said Victoria.

“I won’t .”

Victoria and Tattletale walked through the front doors of the hospital, whose hinges squeaked as they did so. They approached the desk of the crowded lobby, which smelled strongly of cleaning fluid and was colder than it should have been.

A woman sat behind the reception desk with ratty garland strung in front of it, dark circles under her eyes as she tapped on a decade-old computer while reassuring someone on a phone call.

“Yes, if it’s not an emergency, then we can’t take you today. Sir, you can come in tomorrow. I’m very sorry. Yes, 2 PM should be fine. Just expect a wait. Have a lovely day.”

The woman placed her phone back into its cradle, rubbing her forehead.

“Ah,” she said at seeing Victoria and Tattletale. “You’re Antares and that Thinker.”

“That we are,” said Victoria. “We’re here to help cheer some of the kids up for Christmas Eve.”

“Bless you,” said the woman. “Paul, can you take them out back?” she asked, gesturing for a rail thin man who had to be at least six-six walking past. 

“Sure I can,” Paul said. “Follow me.”

“And Merry Christmas,” said the woman behind the desk before picking up another phone call.

“You too,” said Victoria.

Paul led Victoria and Tattletale out back, taking a direct route through a single narrow hallway where Victoria had to twist to make room for a stretcher and individuals on walkers. He took them through another set of doors out back.

“This hospital was built right next to a public park, and we think it’s a great place for the kids to enjoy what you’ve got planned,” Paul explained. He shivered as a gust of December wind cut through his nurse uniform, grimacing as he no doubt realized walking outside without getting on something heavier was a mistake.

“I can see them ahead,” said Tattletale. 

“I can tell you’re cold,” said Victoria. “Since we can see them, why don’t you go back inside?”

“Yeah, thanks,” said Paul. “I’m always the sort of person who forgets their coat at the door. Have fun.” 

Paul practically sprinted back inside, stealing a brief moment for a wave before closing the door behind him.

“Now he can merely be chilly,” said Tattletale, rubbing her own hands together. 

“At least smile for the kids,” said Victoria. She was tempted to fly over, but she walked instead, keeping her pace even with Tattletale’s. 

The park outside the hospital looked barren in winter. No snow was lying on the ground, but the brown grass, trampled by many feet, covered the ground unevenly. Some stand-alone structures for play spotted the park, including a see-saw and a swing set with a missing seat. 

Breakthrough stood by the swing set, where a kid was swinging freely on the remaining seat, a line of other children, tightly bundled in winter clothes, waiting behind him. A hospital staff member, a black woman with hair tied in a bun, stood with them, next to a bed with a particularly sick child in it. 

“Hi Antares,” said Rain, who was pushing the swing. 

Byron and Sveta brought themselves down from a nearby jungle gym with more children, Sveta zipping herself. 

“Hello everyone,” said Victoria. Extravagantly, she lifted herself into the air, rocketing herself upwards. After reaching a certain height, she changed her trajectory so her path formed an arc, flying downwards, feet trailing behind her. At the last second, she pulled up, landing with her feet planted firmly on the ground.

_Perfect._

“I’m Antares, and I’m a hero.”

There were cheers from the children, even the one who had been wheeled out in a bed. 

Victoria elevated herself. 

“I hope they didn’t spoil this for you,” but you’re going to get to fly with me,” she said.

The cheers the children had sent earlier were dwarfed by the new screams, as each child not only yelled with joy, but attempted to push the others out of the way, to reach Victoria. 

“People who shove get to go last,” said Tattletale, smirking. 

Every child stopped in their tracks except for one who continued to push before seeing everyone else still. Yelping, he put his hands into his pockets and froze belatedly.

Kenzie ran out from the crowd of children, running over to the hospital bed to pick up a cube with knobs on two of its faces. 

“Hi Antares,” she said, her head bobbing.

She turned to address the children, her entire body quivering with nervous energy. “This is my first time showing everyone this. Not even Antares has seen it. Cap, do you want to demonstrate it?”

“Sure thing,” said Byron.

“You just need to take off your gloves,” Kenzie said, which Byron did obligingly. “Now you place your hands on the knobs on the side of the cube and think of something you want to see. Make sure it’s something you are okay with everyone else here seeing too, okay.”

Byron thought for a second, brow furrowing, before he placed his hands on the knobs. Suddenly, the ground for fifty feet around changed appearance. The muddy brown and green of grass struggling against the cold of winter was covered with igneous rock, streams of lava running through it. 

There were gasps from the children as Kenzie shouted “it’s safe, it’s safe.”

A goat appeared from the edge of the range of Kenzie’s device. Flawlessly realistic aside from its size, it ran across the ground, leaping over streams of magma with ease.

Byron lifted his hands from the device, and the scene vanished in an instant. “Sorry,” he said to Antares. “It just felt right.”

Victoria gave a brief glance backwards at Tattletale, who was twisting her foot into what must have been a particularly interesting patch of dirt. 

“Now split up for flying and images,” said Sveta.

Victoria was happy to see many of the children clambering to Kenzie’s device, even as the majority wanted to fly. 

“So, what’s your name?” asked Victoria as she pointed to the first kid she would take flying, a young brunette girl with a cast and crutch who nonetheless was grinning like a loon and, as Victoria had astutely noticed, not tried to trip or shove her fellow children.

“Veronica,” the girl said, her voice wavering. 

“That’s a lovely name,” said Victoria. She expanded the Wretch as the girl came closer. 

“Now, I’m going to grab you,” said Victoria, being as gentle as possible. “You won’t see it, but it’s safe.”

Veronica nodded. Victoria could see her enthusiasm was giving way to some nerves. 

_Expected for when you’re about to go flying._

“Drop the crutch,” said Victoria, as she held the girl gently with the Wretch.

“On the count of three, I’m going to lift us up. Is that okay?”

Veronica nodded silently, but vigorously. 

_She’s a brave one._

“One… two… three.”

Victoria lifted herself off the ground gently at first, and the girl yelped when her feet were lifted entirely off the ground. 

“Did you break your leg?” asked Victoria.  
_Speak gently to them, help ease them into it_. 

“Y-yes,” Veronica said. “Roof fell down. I was alone in it, and wasn’t able to call for help.”

“You had to wait until someone found you?”

“Uh-huh,” Veronica said, staring at the ground, now four or so feet underneath her toes.

“No wonder you’re so brave,” said Victoria. 

When Veronica beamed, Victoria pushed a little further. “Do you want to go faster?”

With an affirmative answer, Victoria lifted herself up with a greater speed, to awe-struck gasps from pointing children on the ground. 

Veronica began to scream, but it was not a scream of fear, but rather pure joy. She held out her hands like an airplane, screaming “I’m flying.”

Victoria opened the back of her forcefield, a hold wide enough it allowed her to exit the Wretch as it continued to fly forward. 

“Wow,” screamed Veronica. 

“Further, further,” she shouted. 

Victoria let the Fragile One fly away from her, holding Veronica as tightly as when Victoria had been inside. Victoria steered her forcefield over nearby buildings, following closely enough behind to swoop in for a save if necessary, letting her carry Veronica between the buildings on the street, steering around corners. 

Eventually, Victoria settled Veronica on a roof, landing beside her. 

“We’ve got to go back and give the others a chance to fly too,” Victoria said.

“Awww man.”

“But you know it’s right,” Victoria said. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.”

Victoria laughed. 

_Yeah, it really does suck so often._

She reentered the Wretch, and steered Veronica back to the park, where the cluster of children and heroes stood amongst holographic fish and a large great white shark over a colorful coral sea floor. 

“Now who do I pick next?” asked Victoria as Veronica stepped onto the ground.

The sight of Veronica flying with Fragile One seemed to have made the kids even more rambunctious, although Victoria saw they still avoided shoving. Instead, they yelled a lot and loudly. 

“You are holding up four fingers,” Tattletale told a small boy with tousled blonde hair who was holding fingers - indeed four in number - behind his back. 

“Right again,” said the boy, looking a little glum.

Victoria shook her head at Tattletale, but couldn’t help but smiling. 

_At least she’s interacting in a fun way_. 

Victoria gave the rest of the children rides like she had for Veronica, enjoying the scenes made by Kenzie’s cube. Two children even choreographed an action sequence in the air, with the bedridden one making a winged green snake that chased the other through the sky as Fragile One had him skillfully evade the snaps of the snake’s jaws (until the child on the ground had the snake teleport and reappear with an open mouth around its quarry, bringing the battle to a fair and unambiguous conclusion). 

“Well,” said Victoria, as she deposited the last child on the ground. “Did you have fun?”

The children all cheered, some even articulating the word “yes.”

“I guess there’s only one last thing for us to do,” said Sveta. “Kenzie, if you will do the honors?”

“Yes I will!” 

Kenzie fumbled in her pocket before pulling out a small remote with a single button on it. 

“It’s the holidays, a season for giving,” said Sveta. “And we want to help with that spirit. I stopped by a week ago ago to help arrange this with the hospital staff. I also decided to see what you wanted for the holidays. That’s why the nurses went asking what you wanted for them. We weren’t able to do everything, but I hope you’re happy.”

Kenzie smashed the button on the remote down with her thumb, and there was a flicker of purple light as, nearby on a small hill, presents appeared, their cloaking vanishing. 

“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.”

…

“What did you want to talk to the doctor about?” Victoria asked as she strapped herself into the driver’s seat. 

“Oh, I figured that Veronica’s leg has a benign tumor in it,” Tattletale said, doing the same in the passenger’s seat. “She’s been having some pain in her leg, and it’s not just the bone. The hospital staff hadn’t figured out there was anything wrong there aside from the break, and I just wanted to alert them.”

“You’re too noble.”

“I also think I can get a little something extra for that kid, Ethan, who wasn’t able to leave his bed. He was happy with his gift, but it wasn’t exactly what he’d asked for. Fortunately, I actually have the most recent edition of the Hess Toy Truck in with some other junk we found while clearing some ruins near the Cheit portal. If Sveta had told me I could have gotten it for him.”

“Is this unexpected show of generosity a new normal for you?” asked Victoria teasingly. 

“Absolutely not,” Tattletale responded. “Just no need to be miserly about toy cars and curing people of disease.”

“Glad to see you embracing the Christmas spirit,” said Victoria, as she pulled out of the parking lot. 

“It’s how we’re going to make it through this winter.”

“I guess you’re happy with heroism as long as you keep that attitude of yours.”

Tattletale gave an indignant look before shaking her head and chuckling.

Outside the car, a Christmas snow began to fall. 

  
  



End file.
